Mtrltiplication device



Oct. 9, 1928.

K. SEIFERT MULTIPLICATION DEVICE Filed March 27, 1924 2 Sheetsheet 1 Timmw mw TFL Sv Oct, 9, 1928. 1,687,182

K` SEIFERT MULTIPLICATION DEVICE4 Filed March 27, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Oct. 9, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENToFFlcE.

KURT snirnn'r, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.,

MULTIPLICATION DEVICE.

Application led March 27, 1924. Serial No. 702,378.

My invention relates to and has for its purpose the provision of asimple, inexpensive and durable device by which any number can'bemultiplied by any one of the digits and the correct product obtained. Iwill describe only oneform of multiplication device embodying myinvention, and will then point out the novel features theref ofinclaims. j

In the accompanying drawings j Figure 1 is aview showing in top plan,with a portion lthereof broken away, one form of multiplication deviceembodying my invention;

`Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view l taken on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1;

Figures 3 vto 6, inclusive, are sectional views taken on the lines 3-f3,4 4, 55 andV 6--6, respectively, of Figure 1. i Similar referencecharacters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

Referring speciiically to the drawings, my invention in its presentembodiment comprises a base board vto the under side of which aresecured strips 16 so as to support the device in slightly elevatedposition. This base board 15 constitutes the bottoml ota casing,including side vmembers 17, an end member 18 and a top or cover 19, thelatten being removably securedby means of screws. 2O or kother suitablefastening members. The vside walls 17 terminate short of yone end of thebase board 15 and are tapered to correspond to vertical partitions 21arranged between the tapered ends. These vertical partitions 21 arearranged at spaced intervals across the base board and have their loweredges disposed in grooves 22 formedr in the base board 15, as clearlyshown in Figure 6. The space between any two adjacent verticalpartitions 21 is divided into a plurality of superposed compartments orchan-V nels by meansk of horizontal partitions l23, which are welded orotherwise secured to the vertical partitions so as .to occupy fixedpositions with respect to the latter. These horizontal partitionsterminate attheir rear ends at a common point, as clearly shown inFigure 2, while at their forward ends they terminate at such` pointsthat they are disposed'in stepped relation to correspond to the forwardedges or ends of the. vertical partitions 21. The inclined front edgesof the partitions 21 are formed with ianges 24 (Figures3 and 6) whichco-operate with each other to prevent displacement of ele understoodfrom and secured to posts 28. yThe elastic members serveV to yieldablyurge the strips into concealed position within the channels, but thestrip elements can be withdrawn from the channels .y into displaylposition and against the action of the elastic members 26.

kThe forward ends of the strip elements are provided with metallic guidemembers 30.

within which are exposed numerals adapted to be at all times displayedirrespective of the posit-ion of the strip elements and constituting thedigits of the mult-iplicand. In the normal position of the stripelements 25 the metallic guidemembersi() are disposed in steppedrelation, asl clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, with the vdigitsof the multiplicand at 'all times visible so that any desired stripvelementV can be selected;

Any one ofthe strip elements is adapted to be moved to projected ordisplay position by engaging a ,pointed` instrument S shown within aholderH secured to the cover plate 19 and applied within the guidemembers, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5. The outward movementofthestrip element is limited by means of an abutment strip y32 (Figure 5)ksecured to the forward end of the base board 15. As the strip element ismoved to display position, a latch pin 33,nor`mally urged Aupwardly by aspring 34, engages the under side of the guide member 31, which isprovided with an opening 36 constituting a keeper and co-operating withthe latch pin to` hold the strip element in projected or displayposition against the action ofthe elastic member 26. It will be ofcourse `understood that one latch pin 33 and spring 34 is 'pro-p videdfor each group vof strip elements 25,'

and as all of the strip elements of al1 of the groups yare provided withguide members 30,l

it will be clear that any one strip elementof any group cainbe held indisplay positionl by the latch means described. These several latchmeans can be simultaneously actuated to release the strip elementsthrough the medium Aof a tripping bar 37 mounted for vertical movementthrough the .base board and abutment strip by means of posts 38 securedto the bar 37 andto a lower Abar 38 by means of screws. The lower barhas engagement With the free ends of the springs 34e so that bydepressing the tripping bar 37 the several springs Will be flexeddownwardly, as `indicated, in dot and dash lines in Figure 5, to depressthe latch pins 36 free ofthe guide members 30,-thereby releasingthe-strip i elements and allowing them `tobe drawn to concealedpositionunder the action of, the. elastic 4members 26.` is secured tothe abutment strip'32, and this stri-p is recessed at its forward edgeas indicatedat llOto alloivthe instrument S to occupy pr per position in4moving -any one guide member ,f into la'tching engagement with thecorresjjionding pin 36.

As clearly shown in Fi gure l, the strip elcinents of-any Aone group'bear multiplicand digits ranging `from 40 to 9 and consecutively fromthe lowermost stripelement to the uppermost. y each group also bear whatmay be termed product ,digits in that they co-operate to `giif'e theproduct of a multiplicand formed by the multiplicand digits on thestripelements and any one of the multiplier digits arrangi-idv onstationary strips 4l secured-to the base board l5, as shown in Figure 1.The Zero strip elements vof all of the groups merely bear ciphers, butthe other strip elements bear numbers which are multiples of themultiplicand digits. For example, the strip element bearing themultiplicand Idigit 9 has product numerals in multiples of 9, rangingfrom l to 81, or from 9fto"8l. The digits of these multiples-areseparated as shown in Figure l for the purpose of pairingor combiningthem with thefdigits of the numbers of adjacent stripl elements. Thosedigits which are adapted to be combined With the digits of adjacentstrips are provided Withdarlrened backgrounds, as shown in Figure l,While the background of the-other` digits is made llight todistinguishthem from theV lirst digits.y

In the projected position of the strip elements the product numeralsthereon may be grouped transversely of the elements to designate theproduct for any particular digit of the series of multiplier digits bymeans of ajselector strip or bar 42 provided at one end with al sleeve43 slidably mounted upon a rodeafixed tojvthelbase board vand casing.This sleeve 43' is rigidlyjconnected to the selector stri-p 42 vandbecause of its mounting upon the rod 4A it will be clear that the stripcan be adjusted longitudinally of the base Aicover strip 3f) All of thestrip elements of board or sivung from the transverse position shown inFigure l to a position at one side of the member l5 in order that onemay move the strip elements to displayed position. In

the transverse position of the selector bar l any desired group ofproduct iiuii'ierals lan be displayed Vin the slot llz of such bar, andsiiiiultaueously therewith the desired multiplier digi' tlirougliopenings 45.

In operation, all of the strip elements are normally retracted `toconcealed position Within the channels or coi'iipartii'ients by means ofthe elastic members 2G, andthe selecto-r bar is swung to one side sothat an operator can freely manipulate the` 1ny strument S in moving thedesired strip elements to projected or displayed position.

lf it is now desired to multiply any one i number by anotl'ier, say, forexample, 4209 by 5, the strip elements bearing the multiplicand digits9,0, 2, and l are successively Withdrawn to projected position by theuse of the instrument r3 until thel guide mem-` bers 30 are engaged by.the latch pins 33, Whenrthe elements will be held in displayed position.lt will of course be understood that only one strip element-from onegroup is` withdrawn to 'displayed position, and

that the four strip elements Withdrawn are of the lirst four groups.Having moved the proper strip elementi-il `to displayed position theselector bar is now swung to overlying relation to the elements and thenadjusted along the rod lll until the openings 45 coincide with themultiplier digits 5, when, Within the slot 45, a group of numerals willbe exposed Which, when properly combined, will give the correct product.The product, which is 21,045, is obtained by considering the 'digit 5 ofthe first Astrip elementV as the unit digit of the product; adding thetwo adjacent digits of the first and second strip elements which, inthis instance, amounts to t and constitutes the tens digit oftheproduct; considering the first digit of the third strip element as thehundreds digit; then adding the two digits of the third and fourth stripelements, which gives the sum of l and constitutes the thousands digit;and linally considering the second digit 2 ofthe fourth strip element asthe ten thousands. In this manner the product of any other tivo numbersWithin the range of the device can be obtained.

After each operation the strip elements can be restored to concealedposition by merely depressing thek trip bar 27, when the elastic members26 Will function to draw the elements into the compartment. During thereturn of the elements to concealed position the edges 24 of thevertical partitions 2l serve to guide the elements back into theirrespective compartn'ients, the abutment'plate 27 operating to limit thereturn movement ofthe elements so that inI their `finalypositions themultiplicand digits will remain exposed to view.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form ofmultiplication device embodying my invention, it is to be understoodthat various changes and modiications may be made herein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. A multiplication device comprising a plurality of elements movable tooccupy either ot' two extreme positions, each element bearingmultiplicaud numerals and other numerals which are multiples of themultiplicand numerals, the digits of each multiple numeral beingdistinguished from each other to permit combining certain of the digitswith the digits of adjacent multiple numerals of adjacent elements, andstationary elements bearing' multiplier numerals whereby when thoseelements are moved from one extreme position to the other and bearingthe multiplicand numerals composing the multiplicand of an example, thetransversally alined multiple numerals of the elements as determined bythe desired multiplier numeral will give the correct product when onemultiple digit of each element is considered as constituting onedenomination of the product, while the remaining multiple digits ofadjacent elements are added to constitute the remaining digits of theproduct.

port, and means Jfor locking any of the strips when the latter are movedagainst the action of said retaining means to a position wherein theiigures on the strips are alined Vwith the numbered area of the support.

3. In a calculating device, a base, hori- Zontal and vertical partitionson the base forming a plurality of compartments arranged one above theother and graduated in length so that one end of the compartments isstepped, ribs on the base spaced to form a channel longitudinally alinedwith the stepped end ofthe compartments, numeral bearing strips onein-each of the conipartments yieldably urged inwardly ofV the latter butadapted to be drawn outwardly, multiplicand numerals on the ends of thestrips visible when the' strips are in urged position, and means forguiding the strips downwardly into the channel and upwardly into theirrespective compartments.

KURT SEIFERT.V

